Banished
by LittleAmberAmethyst
Summary: Mabel bakes some cupcakes and wants to share them with her family and friends. She goes into the lab to offer one to Ford, but things don't go as planned, and one careless mistake gets her banished from the lab.
1. Chapter 1

**This was originally going to be a part of chapter eleven of Bonded. However, as I started writing and expanding on it, it soon became its own story. It would've been too long (and not relevant to the rest of the plot for Bonded), so it's now a separate fic that will just be briefly referenced in that story.**

 **This is supposed to take place a week or so before "The Last Mabelcorn."**

* * *

Mabel had finished baking a tray of cupcakes: half vanilla and half chocolate. She opened the container of strawberry frosting. She licked the pink sweetness then picked up the spoon. She gave each pastry a generous helping of icing. To finish she coated the frosting in pink sugar crystals. The girl folded her hands and admired her work with a large smile.

The girl plucked one from the tray (a chocolate one). She bit into the dessert, humming at its deliciousness. She licked the stray frosting from her lips.

Brown eyes landed on the tray. There were eleven more, and she would feel sick (both physically and emotionally) if she gorged on all of them. The best part of making cupcakes was sharing them with loved ones.

Mabel glanced out the window. Grunkle Stan was giving a tour to his next group of victims. He waved his arms excitedly, as he spoke about some phony exhibit. The group exploded into oohs and ahhs as they snapped pictures. Stan laughed, probably delighting in how he ripped off another band of morons.

Mabel decided she would save one for her beloved great-uncle, but if she went out there now she would be forced by societal conventions to share with each of the tourists. Not that she minded, but unfortunately she was about six short in having enough for the crowd. The girl was not about to be responsible for the tears of the poor souls who were denied one of her world-famous-or, more accurately family-famous-cupcakes.

Dipper stood out in the clearing of the woods with Wendy. He said something that made the redhead heartily laugh. Mabel shook her head. When would her brother understand that a relationship with someone so much older and cooler than himself would never happen. Wendy herself had tried explaining it to him after their adventure with the shapeshifter, but he still held tight to the belief that when he gained a few years there was still a chance.

Mabel decided that she would save one for the both of them as well. Stan, Dipper, and Wendy-that made three. Soos was doing inventory in the back closet. Mabel had already promised him a cupcake while they were still in the oven. Soos would not break until the task was finished, so that meant a fourth would need to be saved.

The girl's eyes lit up: Grunkle Ford. She skipped over to the vending machine. She had not had much time to spend with her newly discovered family member. Her brother had been selfishly hogging his attention.

Mabel looked out the door to see Stan was bringing the tourist group inside the shack. She quickly typed the code into the vending machine. The secret doorway opened enough for her to squeeze through. She closed the entrance then pulled a flashlight out of her pocket. She descended the staircase that led to the elevator.

Ford was going to be surprised to receive a greeting, not from nerdy Dipper, but from his amazing great-niece who made him a scrumptious treat. She smiled as she imagined how happy he would be to taste the greatness of her dessert.

Lost in her daydream, Mabel nearly lost her balance when the elevator reached the bottom of the basement. The girl opened the door and exited the lift to be greeted with her great-uncle's laboratory. She had only been down there once, and hadn't had much of a chance to really get to see his work.

Mabel skipped around the lab as she observed the equipment and locked up specimen. Dipper had probably viewed those creatures many times. She felt a pang of envy at the thought that her twin probably had been allowed to work with some of the machines. Perhaps he had also had the chance to feed and pet some of the monsters.

A glass container to the right caught her eye. Mabel slowly approached the tube. There was some fuzzy creature frozen within the glass. The girl smiled at its fluffy face and kitten-like facial features. Though its floppy ears reminded her more of a bunny. Dipper was so lucky to be invited into the laboratory on a daily basis.

The young Pines girl leaned against the container. From the looks of the untidy room, surely Ford wouldn't be too irritated with handprints on the glass. She wondered if she could convince her grunkle to unfreeze the creature long enough for her to pet it.

Her hands slipped. Her right hand hovered above the control panel. She rested her hand on the metal surface. Her middle and ring finger pressed the release button.

The machine whirred. The brunette stepped back and stared at the glass container that now glowed orange. The creature shifted. Mabel watched in fascination as its nostrils widened when it sniffed. Slowly, its eyes opened. Mabel's smile fell when she saw that instead of cute kitty eyes, the eyes more resembled a snake. It lurched back, its spine smacking against the back of the glass.

"Mabel!" a voice shouted. "Mabel, get back!"

The girl jumped and backed off as she was instructed. She screamed when the monster opened its jaw. Jagged teeth gnashed at the glass. The claws scratched the container, leaving two cracks in its wake. It advanced, its head increasing the size of the crack.

A man in a beige trenchcoat moved quickly, nearly knocking the girl to the floor. He swiftly entered the three digit override code. The containment unit hissed and a white gas was released. In a slow ten seconds its eyes shut and the monster fell back into hypersleep.

The scientist let out a heavy sigh.

"Grunkle Ford," Mabel said weakly.

The mentioned turned to face the girl.

She stared up at the livid face of her great-uncle. The eyes behind the thick frames came into view. Mabel felt her stomach twist at the glare meant for her.

"Haven't I instructed you to never come down here without direct permission?" Ford hissed. Mabel backed up, but her uncle was not finished. "Have you any idea how dangerous what you just did was?" He pointed to the creature while keeping his glower on Mabel. "What that thing could've done to you?"

Ford tried to push away the images of his niece as a bloody corpse beneath the monster's feet.

Mabel shook and her eyes filled with tears.

"My work is too dangerous for some little girl to be fooling around with," Ford scolded.

"I-I'm sorry," Mabel pleaded.

"I don't want to see you touching anything in here ever again!" Ford snapped.

Mabel backed up, but Ford stayed close.

"In fact, I don't want to see you in this lab again!" her grunkle yelled.

He slammed his fist down on the table, making the girl scream.

Mabel ran for the elevator. She closed the door and wrapped her arms around herself. Tears fell freely down her face.

The lift reached the ground floor. Mabel threw open the door and dashed up the stairs. She wailed and her vision was blurry with tears. She let out a sob as she reached the exit. She swallowed a thick layer of saliva then opened the door.

Stan turned to chide Ford for nearly revealing his secret to the tourists. Thankfully they had all left not even a minute before. Stan's glare dissipated at the sight of Mabel running from the vending machine with her face full of tears. She ran right into Stanley. The elderly man knelt down and pulled the girl into an embrace. Mabel buried her face in Stan's shirt and wept. She clutched the collar of his jacket.

Dipper, Wendy, and Soos joined the two in the gift shop. Though Mabel's twin was more curious as to what the girl was doing in Ford's lab. Soos and Wendy could only stare at their young friend with sad eyes.

"Mabel, sweetie, what happened?" Stan asked as he pet her hair.

"Gr-Grunkle Ford is m-mad at me," Mabel cried. She released a heavy sigh and wiped fresh tears on her uncle's clothes.

Nothing more was said when Ford opened the secret door. Stan's glare fell on his brother.

Stan slowly stood to his feet with both fists clenched, and a firm glower focused on Ford. Mabel clung to Stan's leg.

"What did you do?" Stan hissed.

"What did I do?" Ford cried.

"Look at her," Stan growled and motioned to the sobbing girl.

"She's the one who barged into my lab and fiddled around with my work," Ford explained.

Stan rolled his eyes. "Always about your work."

Ford advanced one foot with his hand in a fist. "She could've killed everyone in this shack if that creature got loose."

Mabel's eyes widened at Ford's words, then she cried harder.

"Then why do you have something like that in the house in the first place?" Stan shouted.

"I will not be scolded like a child in my own house," Ford retorted.

"All I hear is, 'My work's more important than my family.'" Stan clicked his tongue at his brother. "It's always the same story with you."

"I don't have to listen to this," Ford stated. His gaze fell on Mabel. "You just stay out of my lab." With that he walked back into the secret pathway and the vending machine shut behind him.

Mabel broke away from Stan's embrace and ran up the stairs to the attic.

Stan watched as Mabel disappeared out of view. His glare fell back on the door to the secret lab.

* * *

 **This will be a two-shot. I'll have the second chapter up soon.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Thank you Princess Dia for your kind review!**

 **Here is part two!**

* * *

Mabel sulked in her bed for the next three hours. Ford's words replayed in her mind. She cried into the pillow about how she could have accidentally caused the deaths of everyone she loved because of her own carelessness.

She was interrupted from her thoughts by a soft knock. Mabel hid her face in the collar of her sweater.

The door slowly opened. The head of a twelve-year-old boy poked inside. He softly called his sister's name to receive no reply. Dipper pushed the door open wider and stepped into the room.

"Mabel," the boy tried again. The only response from his twin was a sigh. "Um, it's time for dinner."

"I'm not hungry," Mabel replied.

"It's enchiladas," Dipper said, hoping one of the girl's favorite meals would pull her out of her funk.

Mabel thought for a moment then said, "Save me some for later."

Dipper sighed and agreed to her terms. He turned for the door. His hand hovered over the doorknob when he heard his sister call his name. The boy turned to see Mabel rolled over on her side with only her eyes and forehead poking out of the sweater.

"Why does Grunkle Ford respect you so much, but treats me like a pest?" Mabel asked.

"He doesn't..."

"Yes he does," Mabel cried. She turned away from her twin. "Tell him I'm sorry he ever had to meet me." Fresh tears fell down her cheeks.

Dipper stared at the girl then turned to go downstairs. He sauntered into the kitchen.

"What's eating you?" Stan asked at Dipper's downcast appearance.

"Mabel's not joining us," Dipper announced. He headed towards the gift shop. "I don't have an appetite either."

Stan and Soos could only watch as the male twin left from their view.

"This is really bad," Soos commented.

Stan shook his head. "That's my brother for ya," the elderly man grumbled.

* * *

Ford sat at the desk with his head resting on one hand while the other wrote out the results of his most recent discovery. The scientist glanced up from his calculations at the sound of approaching footsteps.

The gray-haired man smiled at the presence of the child he intended to appoint as his apprentice, if he accepted. Ford couldn't think of a single reason why someone of Dipper's caliber would turn down such an important opportunity.

"Dinner's ready," Dipper said.

Ford caught the somber tone in the boy's words.

"Everything okay?" Ford asked. He had hoped the work and monster hunting had not been too much for someone so young to handle. He made sure to give Dipper enough hours to hang out with his friends and get proper rest.

"No, Grunkle Ford," Dipper replied. "Everything's not okay."

Ford placed the document down on his desk. He stood and faced Dipper so the child would know that he had his full attention.

Dipper moved his gaze from the floor to look his uncle straight in the eyes.

"You really hurt Mabel," Dipper said. "I don't know what you did or said, but she feels lousy."

"Dipper," Ford said. He pinched the bridge of his nose. "She needs to know that that kind of foolishness is unacceptable in here, not to mention dangerous."

A few moments of silence fell over the two.

"Grunkle Ford," Dipper said softer. "She thinks you don't like her. She said to tell you she's sorry you ever met her."

"That's just ridiculous," Ford replied.

"Well...it's what she thinks," said Dipper. He stepped forward. "Grunkle Ford, I know Mabel. Whatever she did, she's sorry for it."

Ford sighed. "Tell Stanley to put dinner on hold," he said to the boy. He pushed by and stepped into the elevator with Dipper in tow.

The vending machine swung open and the two stepped out. Dipper watched as his great-uncle slowly made his way up the stairs. He wondered if he should accompany Ford, but decided that it was something that he and Mabel needed to work out on their own.

Ford felt himself grow nervous the closer he approached the attic bedroom. He stood outside the door, contemplating if he should put it off until later. He shook away those thoughts and knocked. He received no answer prompting him to knock louder.

The girl said something that was muffled by the door.

Ford chose to open the door. His heart dropped at the sight of his niece curled into herself. He cleared his throat then called her name.

Mabel was surprised to hear Ford's voice. She poked her head out of the sweater and sat up on her bed.

The two just stared at each other for what felt like hours.

"I'm really sorry I messed with your work," Mabel said then laid back down on the pillow.

Ford's heart sunk even lower. He slowly made his way over to the girl's side of the room. The great contrast in the two sides reminded him of his own childhood.

Ford sat down on Mabel's bed and placed a hand on her back. The girl shifted at the touch. She looked up at the man who she believed detested her.

The six fingered hand patted a vacant spot next to him. Mabel moved and sat down where Ford instructed.

"I'm the one who needs to apologize," Ford said. He cleared his throat and waited for the words to form. It had been years since he last apologized to another soul. He wondered if he could still manage the words.

"I was angry when I said those things to you," Ford explained.

Mabel nodded. She recalled a few times when she had said things she didn't mean in a fit of anger.

"I didn't mean to be so...well...harsh," Ford said. "I'm sorry I scared you."

Mabel nodded again.

"Please don't think that I hate you, because I don't," Ford said. "You and Dipper are very important to me."

Mabel smiled.

"That's why I got so angry," Ford said, his tone firmer. Mabel looked into his stern face. "I need you to understand that anything in that lab can be hazardous to you." He placed a hand on her shoulder. "Please don't touch anything without permission." He paused then added, "It's the same rule that applies to Dipper."

Mabel leaned her head against her grunkle's arm. He pulled her into his lap and wrapped his arms around her. Mabel leaned her face against his chest.

Ford gently pet her hair. "You don't know how scared I was," he said. Mabel shifted and looked into his eyes. "That monster could've killed you." He tightened his grip on his niece. "I'd never forgive myself if something happened to you."

"I'm sorry, Grunkle Ford," Mabel said. She wiped away a falling tear. In a voice barely above a whisper she asked, "Am I still banned from the basement?"

Ford shook his head. "No," he answered. "But I do need you to let me know when you plan to come down. Also to promise not to touch anything unless I give you direct permission."

Mabel nodded. "I love you, Grunkle Ford," she said.

"Same," Ford said and hugged her tighter.

They broke from their embrace.

The girl jumped down from the bed. "Well, I'm starving!" she shouted. "And it's enchilada night!"

Ford chuckled, though he wondered when Stan learned to cook such a variety of meals. Surely it wasn't from his mother's lousy cooking.

The rest of the family looked up when two new figures entered the kitchen. Mabel took her spot next to her brother. Soos handed her a plate with a generous portion of one of her favorite meals.

Stan looked over at Ford as he sat down. The scientist felt his brother's gaze on him and looked up at Stan's smug grin. Ford rolled his eyes, but he returned the other man's smile.

* * *

 **And everyone is happy. I think that I really like writing (and reading) fluffy stories. Family fluff with Mabel and Ford is just so cute for some reason. It's probably the same reason that I think family fluff with Dipper and Stan is adorable.**

 **Yes, I consider Soos to be a part of the Pines family. I have a headcanon that Stan thinks of Soos as a son and often invites him to stay for dinner, hence his inclusion in this chapter.**


End file.
